The UN Disengagement Observer Force’s (which serves in the Golan) convoy of 13 vehicles was again fired on for the second day on the Damascus airport road. The previous shooting wounded 4 Austrian troops.

Demonstrations against the Bashar al-Assad took place today throughout the country following Friday prayers. There were some reports of demonstrations which criticized the FSA and called for the hardline jihadist groups in the north of the country, chanting “The Free (Syrian) Army are thieves, we want an Islamic army,”

The UN Commission of Inquiry investigating human rights violations in Syria is being given a Swiss airplane to help its mission. It has conducted more than 1,000 interviews and compiled two lists of names of individuals and groups involved in serious allegations of rights abuses, which were already given to Navi Pillay, the UN Commissioner for Human Rights.

Damascus province: The opposition shot down a fighter MIG over al-Dameer. The Syrian military has shelled Tadamon and Hajar al-Aswad in Damascus and Babila, Beit Sahem, Daraya, Mu’adamiyyat al-Sham, A’qraba, Hjeira, Irbeen, and Sabina. Clashes continue through the southern areas of Damascus and the regime has taken the threat against the airport very seriously.

Deir az-Zur province: Very important news (strategically) for the Syrian opposition: The Syrian army has retreated from the largest oil field in Deir az-Zur, the al-Omar oil field north of al-Mayadeen. This means there is no Syrian military presence east of the city of Deir az-Zur, and the regime has lost control of the Jafra oil field and the Konoko gasfield from which 45 soldiers ran away & defected on Nov. 27th However, the regime still holds the oil fields west of Deir az-Zur.

The Syrian military continued to shell al-Mayadeen and al-Shahil. Opposition fighters are besieging the Deir az-Zur military checkpoint. Soldiers inside of the airport have defected.

The Syrian military shelled the Rashidiyya neighborhood of the city of Deir az-Zur and clashes took place there and in other neighborhoods. Anti-regime demonstrations were held in al-Hmeidiyya in Deir az-Zur and in the town of Tayana, calling for the execution of the president.

Hama province: Yesterday, 2 civilians were kidnapped by unknown gunmen and killed in the countryside.

Homs province: The Syrian military killed 17 young men from Tripoli, Lebanon in a “trap” in Tal Kalakh. They had gone to Syria to fight with the opposition. Two persons were killed in al-Rastan. Yesterday, the Syrian air force killed one civilian in its aerial bombardment of al-Arjoun.
Idlib province: The Syrian military bombed a residential area in Kafr Awad today. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-hjciPG_uI
Clashes are continuing in the southern part of Ma`arat al-Nu`man and the Syrian military continues to shell that city. Many residents have fled. A child died of wounds received yesterday in the town of Sarmin. Clashes took place in near the village of al-Shughour. Opposition fighters are carrying out a siege of a military checkpoint on the Idlib-Salqin highway. A Syrian military helicopter dropped explosives on the village of Koreen yesterday.

The Assad regime has been extremely effective in threatening minority communities, including Christians and their Churches and Church officials. Nevertheless, significant numbers and figures support a Free Syria, in some cases, rejecting their officials. http://en.qantara.de/wcsite.php?wc_c=20251&wc_id=22066

The U.N’s Ban Ki-Moon has predicted that the numbers of Syrian refugees will rise above 700,000 by January.

International: NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu said that Patriot (PAC-3) missiles could be deployed to the Turkish border within several weeks if they are approved, possibly by the NATO members foreign ministers’ meeting scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday in Brussels. She added, “Anyone who thinks of attacking Turkey will think twice.”

France asked the Syrian government to restore Internet and phone services now cut off for a second day.

The Friends of Syria “sanctions working group meeting” convened in Tokyo bringing together delegates from 60 countries. Newly represented are Indonesia, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan and Bangladesh. Japan’s Foreign Minister, Koichiru Gemba referred to the group as the international community’s effort in an instance where the United Nations Security Council has failed to act to alleviate the conflicthttp://www.thenews.com.pk/article-77688-Friends-of-Syria-meet-in-Tokyo

Dutch police arrested 3 men in Rotterdam who were planning to travel to Syria to fight with the opposition, i.e. to be “international jihadists.”